About Your Skin

Your skin is one of the most important organs that your body has. Not only is it the largest, comprising about 15% of the body weight, the total skin surface of an adult ranges from 12 to 20 square feet, but it protects what is inside and reveals the health of what is internal as well. Because of this, it is very important to take care of our skin because that is what we show the world each day.

In terms of chemical composition, the skin is about 70% water, 25% protein and 2% lipids. The remainder includes trace minerals, nucleic acids, glycosoaminoglycans, proteoglycans and numerous other chemicals.

The skin consists of three main layers: epidermis, dermis and subcaneous tissue.

The epidermis is the topmost layer of the skin. It is the first barrier between you and the outside world. The epidermis consists of three types of cells keratinocytes, melanocytes and Langerhans cells. Keratinocytes, the cells that make the protien keratin, are the predominant type of cells in the epidermis. The total thinkness of the epidermis is usually about 0.5 - 1 mm. At the lowermost portion of the epidermis are immature, rapidly dividing keratinocytes. As they mature, keratinocytes lose water, flatten out and move upward. Eventually, at the end of their life cylce, they reach the uppermost layer of the epidermis called stratum corneum. Stratum corneum consists mainly of dead keratinocytes, hardened proteins (keratins) and lipids, forming a protective crust. Dead cells from stratum corneum continuously slough off and are replaced by new ones coming from below. The skin completely renews itself every 3 - 5 weeks.


Another significant group of cell in the epidermis are melanocytes, the cells producing melanin, the pigment responsible for skin tone and color. Finally, Langerhans cells are essentially a forepost of the immune system in the epidermis. They prevent unwanted foreingn substances from penetrating the skin.

The condition of epdermis determines how "fresh" your skin looks and also how well your skin absorbs and holds moisture. Wrinkles, however, are formed in lower layers.

The junction between the epidermis and the dermis is not straight but undulates like rolling hills - more markedly so in some areas of the body than others. A series of finger-like structures called rete pegs project up from the dermis, and similar structures project down from the epidermis. These projections increase the area of contact between the layers of skin, and help to prevent the epidermis from being sheared off. They are not present in the skins of unborn babies but rapidly develop after birth, and are very noticeable in a young person's skin when it is examined under the microscope. As skin ages they get smaller and flatter.

Networks of tiny blood vessels run through the rete pegs, bringing food, vitamins and oxygen to the epidermis. In pale people these vessels can be seen through the epidermis, particularly if the veins widen (so-called 'broken veins'). If the blood carries plenty of oxygen it will be pink and the skin will tend to have a rosy color. If the blood is running sluggishly and has lost most of its oxygen the skin will look bluer. These blood vessels respond to temperature changes. They open up in hot weather, bringing lots of red blood cells - and hence a pink flush -to the skin, and close down in the cold; this is why cold skin often looks blue.

To learn more about your skin type and how to care for it please contact Amanda at AmandaJSkincare.com